Just some quick hits this morning (meetings again) – but more this afternoon when I get a break.

I find the fact that Alexander Litvinenko WAS a MI6 paid ‘consultant’ (at his salary of 2,000 pounds (~$3500) a month he was probably just an informant) a very interesting and telling twist to the Polonium smuggling story. Clearly Litvinenko (and Berezovsky) were working closely with British intelligence. But the question is are their heavy ties to Chechen rebels a front so as to become chummy and get intel on terrorism, or were they playing the double agent game – playing up to MI6 so they could operate in support of terrorism. Their public faces clearly indicate the latter – which strengthens the argument for the former of course. But here is the rub – Lugovoi still had close ties to Litvinenko and Berezovsky. So whatever was happening they apparently were in it together until the Po-210 spilled and killed Litvinenko. Was MI6 trying to frame Russia by smuggling Po-210 into Russia, or trying to frame Lugovoi? Possible. Or were the three Russians moving Po-210 to Chechen or terrorist buyers under the nose of MI6? I still don’t buy the assasination story – makes no sense. But a smuggling ring gone bad that ALSO makes MI6 look like buffoons or some out of control rogue operation DOES make sense. It makes sense why things are going the way they are. MI6 had Po-210 smuggled onto its home turf. Either it supported it or missed it, so blaming Russia makes a great diversion.

The war for the heart of Islam is raging in Iraq right now. al-Qaeda’s enemy Number 1 are ‘moderate’ Muslims who have turned on al-Qaeda and sided with the Iraqi government and their American allies. We have the Muslim civil war we needed to turn the Middle East region from a anti-western jihadists enclave to a forward looking, modern region of democratic reforms. al-Qaeda is hoping to make the area home base to a Islamo Fascist wave that will take over the planet (if not areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea). We have enlisted allies in opposing this view – allies who are puting their lives on the line (as we see with the 10 Sheiks who oppose al-Qaeda being kidnapped). By attacking Muslims al-Qaeda has let their peace loving, for-the-good-of-Islam mask fall. Their atrocities against Muslims are now legend. Which is why we get news out of Baghdad that al-Qaeda is severely weakened in Iraq:

The threat from Al Qaeda in several former strongholds in Baghdad has been significantly reduced, but criminals who have established an “almost mafia-like presence” in some areas pose a new threat, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said Sunday.

The commander, General David Petraeus, stressed, however, that the terror organization remained “a very dangerous and very lethal enemy” – a comment underscored by the abduction Sunday in Baghdad of 10 Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders who had joined forces against Al Qaeda.

“Its presence has been significantly reduced, and its activity and freedom of action have been degraded,” Petraeus said at a U.S. base near Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, 130 kilometers, or 80 miles, north of Baghdad.

He singled out success in what had been some of the most volatile Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad, including Ghazaliya, Amariya, Azamiya and Doura.

But, he said, “Al Qaeda remains a very dangerous and very lethal enemy of Iraq. We must maintain contact with them and not allow them to establish sanctuaries or re-establish sanctuaries in places where they were before.”

The Nazis remained brutal and dangerous until they were completey crushed in Berlin. And then even some pockets tried to stay relevant after the end of WW II. We will not kill every terrorist. But as the Muslim street turns against terrorism, will not tolerate it amongst them, then Islamic terrorism will have no resources or safe havens to grow upon. They will remain stilted and impotent.

If I have time later today I hope to do some catching up on things in Pakistan. It seems there has been a lot of action there the last few days (see here and here for examples). I still think we shall see the center of action in the war on terrorism shift towards Pakistan as more and more of Iraq is lost to al-Qaeda due to its brutality against fellow Muslims.

Finally, Valerie Plame claims she is not going away. My response to her is “Valerie who?” Sorry dear, you two had your shot and lost. No one cares anymore – unless you want to come clean on you and your husbands ties to the Kerry campaign. Now THAT would sell some books!

Hope everyone has a great day!